Category: United Kingdom

Domestic UK university applications down 0.9% at January 2018 deadline (UCAS)

26% fall in the number of apprentices (Department of Education)

Government to hit 3 million apprenticeships target by 2020

Luxury PBSA studios in London, Bristol and Reading open to apprentices (Collegiate)

Claims made by the chairman of the Education Select Committee that many graduates receive ‘paltry returns’ from conventional university degrees spark a debate about the need for the government to implement a radical change in the whole education system to address the needs of students and employers. While the cost of getting a university degree leaves many students tens of thousands of pounds in debt, much is being done to promote degree apprenticeships, shaped to be the benchmark of the future.

With official figures revealing a 26% drop in apprenticeship starts in the first quarter 2018 compared to the same period last year, the Government has promised to deliver three million apprenticeship starts by 2020.

Meanwhile, concerns have been raised by investors who have splashed out on purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) in recent years as they are likely to be hit by falling university student numbers over the coming decade. Indeed, according to UCAS figures, domestic student applications have dropped by 0.9% for the second year in a row compared with January 2017.

But as apprenticeships return, increasing numbers of PBSA providers are opening their doors to not just university students but those undertaking other forms of higher education. One such forward thinking accommodation provider Collegiate is already offering apprentices luxury accommodation in three locations – London, Bristol and Reading.

“The decrease in the number of university applications in the UK has been a wake-up call to government which has now pledged to reinforce apprenticeships. As many more recruits are expected, it’s important to think about their accommodation. Many apprentices are not staying at home and have to relocate sometimes to start their apprenticeship. We are giving them access to our luxury PBSA beds because apprentices deserve the same standard of housing as university students

Young nursing apprentices studying at King’s College Hospital will find it easy to get to their placements if living at Collegiate Halsmere Studios which is located In Camberwell. With 79 studios available, Collegiate Halsmere Studios comprise a common room, garden with BBQ area and on-site laundry. Available from £255 per week.

Collegiate Water Lane Apartments is the perfect choice for apprentices who want to live in away from the hustle and bustle of student life in Bristol. Residents have access to high specification apartments finished with contemporary Corian kitchens, individual en-suite facilities and generous study and storage space. Prices start from £173 per week.

Finally, Collegiate Saxon Court in Reading offers standout apartments to apprentices with a range of accommodation options, including private courtyard gardens, private gym, in-house cinema and dinner part room. Well situated, Collegiate Saxon Court apartments are just 15 minutes away from Reading college that offers apprenticeship vacancies. Available from £218 per week.

For more information, contact Collegiate on +44 1235 250 140 or visit www.collegiate-ac.com.

The new Collegiate Marques de Pombal student accommodation in Lisbon, which opened its doors just last month, stands out in Collegiate’s already impressive portfolio due to its cutting-edge design, unique features and outstanding facilities.

Collegiate’s interior design team has paid particular attention to the indoor decoration with the use of street artwork for the very first time.

Wanting Lisbon’s world-renown street art tradition to be an integral part of the design of Collegiate Marques de Pombal, Portugal’s best-known graffiti artist Mr Dheo was invited to be involved in this unique project. With 18 years’ experience in the specialist field, the well-respected artist took the time to share how he decorated the building with its residents firmly in mind.

How would you define your artwork and what themes do you pursue?

I define my work as a conceptual representation of my life experiences over the last 18 years. With my art I want to communicate with people because I believe it is the best way for them to “read” my pieces and to understand who I am.

When I work in public, I particularly like to pursue social themes and take on more polemic issues because on a public platform I can reach a wider audience, from the poor to the rich, citizens aged 8 to 80, there is no limit what I can say to them.

In the main communal areas and entrance lobby at Collegiate Marques de Pombal, artwork features on the walls. What was your overall vision for these spaces?

We wanted to make it as young, vibrant and fresh as possible. The idea was to harmonise everything, bring it together as a whole. The patterns and concepts used outside were also needed inside to make the building identifiable both indoors and outdoors. That’s why the lobby, the rooms and everything else have the same language.

How does artwork of Collegiate Marques de Pombal set it apart from anything else in the city?

It is a unique project because we thought about everything. For instance, after I sketched what work I wanted to do on the walls, the architects incorporated triangle shapes in the building to harmonize it with my art. Everything in the building is connected. Marques de Pombal is a one of a kind building in Lisbon because street art has never been so involved in a project from start to finish. That’s exactly what makes it different.

Marques de Pombal also stands out as it is set in an environment deprived of graffiti, it makes it very easy to identify. The heights, the colours, the complexity of the building makes it a landmark in the city. That’s exactly what we wanted – a building that stirs curiosity.

I want people who hang out in the area to wonder “what is going on here?”, “what is this place?”. Even if people don’t know the name of the street or the area, I want them to say to their friends when they meet “oh you know it’s close to this colourful building with triangles.”

Does your artwork aim to do more than just beautify the place? What impact do you think it could have on residents?

If you just want to beautify a place, you can just print an image and put it on the wall just like wallpaper. When it is handmade by an artist, especially in a place like Lisbon, students can think that they can achieve anything.

Street art gives them inspirations and remind them that when they work and believe in their dreams, they can do anything. My art in the building is tangible proof of it. When I was a student, it could have been impossible for me to think that I can make a living out of my drawing. I was not connected to any art school and here I am today!

There is a growing trend of making buildings and spaces “instagrammable”, can you talk me through how your work at Collegiate Marques de Pombal makes it “instagrammable” for students?

Graffiti has become very trendy, which is a good and bad at the same time. People tend to take pictures of everything they see when they travel. Street art is in fact very social media friendly. Students are young and this trend is their language.

Since we started the project in August 2017, the building has been ‘instagrammable’ from every angle. People are enjoying the building, they share it on Instagram. Nowadays it is very important to make a building sharable on social media thus, our purpose was to create a lasting building that young people would like capture on video and through pictures and share on social media.

What the tools of your trade?

I see myself as a pure graffiti artist because I use traditional tools which is a spray can only. No tape, no projector, no brushes, no roller paint: I do everything with spray cans. Of course, I use my head above everything else, my heart, my hands and then my spray cans.

For more information, contact Collegiate on +44 1235 250 140 or visit www.collegiate-ac.com.

Notes to Editors:

About Marquês de Pombal

Marquês de Pombal is part of Collegiate’s Prestige Collection with residents benefitting from a private fitness suite, swimming pool and sauna, a 24-hour concierge service, club lounge and an on-site cinema. From €135 per week, it encompasses superior studios space, two bed apartments as well as penthouses with a unique access to a terrace. It is located in the heart of the capital, close to the university’s campus and iconic Avenida de Liberdade.

About Collegiate

Collegiate is a leading student accommodation provider who delivered 20,000 beds across 30 sites in the UK in recent years. From private gyms, on-site cinema, study rooms, games area and much more, they provide a home away from home with the little luxuries that will ensure the best student experience.

About Mr Dheo

Always rejecting any kind of Art course in his childhood, he developed his own techniques, which enabled him to evolve without direct influences. Today Mr.Dheo already made interventions in over forty cities all over the world. He collaborates with well-known international brands and companies although he keeps the street as the perfect place to create. For more information on his projects, visit www.mrdheo.com .

Newcastle is the cultural and commercial capital of the North East; something which is evident from its ever-growing population of urban and professional residents.

The new generation of city dwellers are demanding more and more from their residences, aiming to seamlessly blend their working and social lives, as well as incorporate leisure activities from one convenient base.

In response to this demand, Surrenden Invest is proud to present the brand-new development, Hadrian’s Tower which showcases the very best in contemporary residential accommodation available today in Newcastle.

Designed and built by respected financial and property group The High Street Group, it is set to become the most sought after residential address in Newcastle.

Hadrian’s Tower will offer world-class living, of a standard not previously seen in the North East of England; that’s 26 storeys of prime, luxurious living right in the heart of the city, just off St. James’ Boulevard.

With such a superb location and quality build, Hadrian’s Tower shows that the sky’s the limit for residential accommodation in Newcastle!

The tower has been designed with residents’ every convenience in mind. The 165 one-and two-bedroom apartments are complemented by outstanding shared facilities and social areas. There is a launderette and a cafe with adjacent meeting spaces and a Sky Lounge offering a laid-back venue for rest, relaxation and entertaining with panoramic sights over the city centre.

Individual homes will be spacious, bright and airy, with twin-aspect views from almost all apartments.

The service offering is just as premium as the accommodation; with an on-site concierge, cleaning services, maintenance, resident support, Wi-Fi and high-speed broadband.

“Hadrian’s Tower offers a capital-city lifestyle in an outstanding Newcastle location, making it one of the most exciting living and investment propositions available in the UK this year.”

The structure, which is set to become Newcastle’s tallest building is to be showcased at one of the world’s largest property events, MIPIM in Cannes next month (March 2018). The 28th annual conference attracts the most influential players from all sectors of the international property industry.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the North East, Newcastle, and our group to demonstrate the quality of property development projects taking place here and what attractive investment opportunities there are to be had.”

Gary Forrest, Chairman, The High Street Group

Hadrian’s Tower enjoys not only a premium city centre location but proximity to Newcastle’s Regeneration Zone, meaning that residents have direct access to the business and leisure facilities of this thriving city.

Chinatown, St James’ Park and the O2 Academy are just a short walk away, while The Gate entertainment complex, Intu Eldon Square shopping mall and the Theatre Royal are all easily reachable.

Central Station is just 10 minutes’ walk from Hadrian’s Tower, ensuring that residents can benefit from superb connectivity via a primary rail connection.

Regeneration work in Newcastle is adding to the city’s already-impressive residential, commercial and cultural offering and the region is recognised as the commercial and educational focus of North East England – along with Gateshead, which sits opposite it across the River Tyne.

Newcastle enjoys one of the fastest economic growth rates of any city in the UK. In the five years to 2015, Newcastle’s total GVA grew by 18.5% – the third fastest rate in the UK and property values in the city have risen by 24.78% over the past five years.

Hadrian’s Tower offers an exceptional investment opportunity, with 5% interest on all exchange money throughout the 18-month build phase. Hadrian’s Tower provides 7% NET RG after five years, with completion scheduled for Q4 2019/Q1 2020.

This unique offering means that investors can benefit from a superb financial structure, as well as an outstanding development.

London is a global hub for talent with musicians, actors, authors and many more coming to the capital in search of fame and fortune – and Hayes in West London is no exception!

Many A-list celebrities have come to Hayes over the decades from notable author George Orwell to ‘the father of English music’ William Byrd and Hollywood actors Brad Pitt, Keira Knightley and Colin Firth to name but a few who have filmed in the town’s famous studios.

For years Hayes has flown under the radar as the darling of movie and TV location specialists due the West London Film Studios being based in the town.

Oscar winning film The Imitation Game, popular TV series Misfits and many more smash-hit movies such as World War Z were filmed in these studios. And West London Film Studios are back in the spotlight with next Colin Firth’s movie, The Mercy, also starring Rachel Weisz out on 9th February, being partly filmed there.

But Hayes is not only known for being a hotspot for the celebrity elite within the film industry. Indeed, the town’s musical heritage lived on into the 20th and indeed 21st centuries as many of The Beatles albums were famously ‘Made in Hayes’ and today venues including the Beck Theatre, regularly host national artists as well as local musicians and stage productions.

The spotlight is firmly on Hayes in 2018 with the town proving to be a prime commuter location, bursting with famous connections and an abundance of cultural venues – ideal for those looking to embrace a laid-back suburban culture with easy access into the city. Young professionals looking for affordable living in a trendy town are now flocking to Hayes as developments such as be:here Hayes, part of the wider redevelopment of the Old Vinyl Factory, spring up.

Previously home to the EMI factory on Blyth Road, the Old Vinyl Factory was featured in the emotional reunion scene in Thor:The Dark World where Thor and his lover Jane Foster meet again. Now the abandoned warehouse site is undergoing a renaissance as the scheme is expected to deliver 4,000 jobs, 642 homes, 750,000 sq ft of commercial and leisure space including a new 3-screen cinema and live music venue in Hayes, all by 2020. Be Living Ltd has already delivered 133 pet-friendly homes as part of their be:here Hayes development at the Gatefold building.

“It’s wonderful to see the former EMI site coming back to life, and whilst the fashion of the 60’s and 70’s might have left the building, the vibrant spirit of that era is being re-discovered and re-invented for a new generation.”

The multi award-winning stylish development, just 300 yards from Hayes & Harlington station, soon to be served by Crossrail, offers pet friendly homes specially designed for renting with a roof terrace for community events, on-site property manager. Apartments are priced from £1,195 pcm with no agency, admin or referencing fees.

Award winning Alexander James Interior Design share top tips on how to achieve the ultimate dressing room at home

Yes! London Fashion Week is just around the corner, providing the perfect excuse for a complete wardrobe overhaul!

But after the shows, shopping and cocktails have finished and we’ve managed to lug all our bags across town, we still need to figure out where on earth to store it all once we’re back in our lair?

As any dedicated fashionista will tell you, it’s not just about having enough drawers, oh no.
What we want is to be able to admire the fruits of our labour and to display or collection of fashion forward picks to others. We want to have everything at our finger tips and in our line of sight to make getting ready quicker, easier and well, altogether more joyful.

“Having the ultimate dressing room can be a life-changing experience for those who love their clothes. Just because it’s a practical space doesn’t mean it can’t also be beautiful. The best dressing rooms should serve to inspire their users and celebrate all that is beautiful and fashionable each day.”

Stacey Sibley, Creative Director, Alexander James Interior Design

Here, Sibley shares her top tips on how to make the most of your dressing room to enjoy it at its best:

Start with a good sort through all your clothes, shoes, bags, jewellery and so on. You don’t want a space full of items you will never wear.

Next, think about what’s important to you. If you’re a shoe addict, think about how you would like them stored and displayed – do you want them on show or wrapped away for protection? Do you need lots of shelving for shoe boxes or do you prefer the shoes out of their boxes on display?

Have a think about lighting. Make sure the space is well lit, especially where you have the full-length mirror for trying outfits on. Using back-lit shelves can be a nice touch here, especially if you have a designer handbag collection or hats to display. Made to measure shelving can also work wonders for those items.

Then, give some thought to space allocation for clothes. Do you have more long dresses than separates? If so, you’ll need more full height hanging space. Be realistic about your level of tidiness as well. If you’re super neat, then open shelving and hanging space can work well, but if you lean towards the messy, then doors to hide away untidiness come highly recommended!

Decide on style. Do you want your dressing room to be glamorous and glitzy, sleek and cotemporary, or vintage inspired? Shape the space and the items on display to fit your preferred style.

Add some practical touches. Drawers can be a great help as underwear, ties and jewellery can all be neatly stored away, while a safe for expensive jewellery and watches may also be a good move. If space allows, a central island with further storage can also be very useful or can provide an area for sitting.

Finally, if you have oodles of space available, then a ‘his and hers’ dressing room is the ultimate luxury touch. With our side being ever-so-slightly bigger…of course!

For more information, visit Alexander James Interior Design at www.aji.co.uk or call 020 7887 7604.

Liverpool has been on the radar as a city for property investment for many years. So, what is the secret to the city’s lasting investment credentials? Having just chosen Liverpool as the location for its first non-London office, specialist end-to-end property investment company Surrenden Invest, was keen to share its knowledge of the local market.

Sales Director Joanne McCormack reveals all…

Where is the Liverpool property investment market at today?Liverpool has a buoyant market right now when it comes to residential investment opportunities. Government figures show that the city built an average of 713 homes per year between April 2009 and March 2016. However, the Home Builders Federation has estimated that the city needs to build 3,000 homes annually to keep up with demand. This has led to demand far outstripping supply, particularly considering the trend over the past decade for people to move into the city centre.
One consequence of this is rising rents. Rents rose by 4.4% across the North West in 2016. Home values have also been rising, with an increase of 22.7% across Liverpool over the past five years. Apartment prices have risen even more – by 25.2% over the same period.

What makes Liverpool an investment-grade destination?Liverpool has an incredible amount going for it. As well as a thriving property investment market, the Liverpool City Region economy is performing well. It is leading the Northern Powerhouse area in terms of GVA growth per capita, as well as overall GVA growth. The city has a largely service-based economy, which was worth £29.5 billion in 2015. Added to that is the fact that Liverpool enjoyed a 56% growth rate for its fast-growing businesses between 2009 and 2015 – the highest rate in the UK.
The city is also investing a great deal in its future, with £900 million available to the city’s metro mayor over next 30 years. The SuperPort Action Plan alone, which covers the period from 2011 to 2020, will add £18.3 billion of additional GVA by 2030.

There has been talk of Liverpool becoming oversupplied with property, from your experience on the ground, do you feel this is the case?Definitely not – we wouldn’t have opened an office here if that was the case!
Liverpool’s population increased from 435,500 in 2001 to 466,400 in 2011. Over the same period, 22 to 29-year-olds in the city centre increased fourfold, while the overall city centre population increase stood at 160%. This new trend for living in the city centre has led to a huge increase in demand for rental properties. Developers are racing to keep up, rather than creating an oversupply.

Which parts of the city are seeing greatest investor interest at present and why?Investors are keen to be involved in several areas of central Liverpool. The waterfront Albert Dock area remains popular, while the Ten Streets area is one of the latest locations to capture investors’ interest. Ten Streets is particularly exciting as it’s undergoing a 15-20-year strategic overhaul that is focusing on building a new ‘creativity district.’ This will bring lasting, long-term benefits to Liverpool and investors are keen to be a part of that.

What is the typical property that buy-to-let investors are looking for?There are a number of general characteristics that buy to let investors in Liverpool are seeking. Off-plan homes remain popular, though there is also a market for completed properties. Location-wise, the city centre and key regeneration areas are top of the list. Investors are also looking for a good blend of reasonable entry point in terms of price, but high end in terms of design and finish – there’s definitely a ‘Liverpool look’ that is winning investors over.

Liverpool has traditionally seen many overseas investors buying property in the city, is this trend still occurring today?Yes, Liverpool remains popular with overseas investors. The Liverpool LEP is second in England for its foreign direct investment strategy according to fDi Magazine. It also ranks joint second in the list of top ten mid-sized European cities of the future 2016/17 and fourth out of all mid-sized European cities for its business friendliness. Combined with the city’s bustling property market and growing population, these factors mean that Liverpool remains popular with overseas investors.

Where are these overseas investors from and where and what are they buying?We’re seeing significant interest from overseas buyers into Liverpool from Hong Kong and China together with the Middle East. City Centre locations aside, typically for end users we are seeing the greatest interest from an investment standpoint around the Ten Streets regeneration area to the North and the Baltic Triangle area to the south of the City Centre

Tens of millions of pounds have been pumped into the regeneration of Liverpool. As a local resident, do you feel this has had an overall positive effect?The money pouring into Liverpool has benefited residents. As well as infrastructure development projects, the city has benefited from enhanced cultural attractions and new business/leisure areas. These have not only created new jobs for residents, but also added to the city’s entertainment options.

How do you feel the Ten Streets regeneration project will benefit Liverpool?The Ten Streets regeneration is a ambitious project covering 125 acres of former docklands. It’s going to benefit the city in several ways. The scheme is due to create around 2,500 job opportunities, which is obviously good news for residents. The aim to create a ‘creativity district’ will also give this part of the city its own distinctive character and create a legacy that will benefit future generations of Liverpool residents and workers through a diverse range of facilities. It’s a exciting project.

In terms of Liverpool’s economy, as part of the Northern Powerhouse, the city’s success is strategically important to the overall UK economy. Do you feel that the local economy has picked up?As I mentioned earlier, the Liverpool City Region economy is at the forefront of the Northern Powerhouse area in terms of both GVA growth per capita and overall GVA growth. The economic pickup has been most clearly notable in terms of job growth.
Liverpool is reviving after years of decline with the city’s population growing as it gains a reputation as an economic magnet that can attract investors. Over the past decade some £5bn of investment has transformed the centre of Liverpool leading to excellent growth prospects as one of the UK’s best performing markets. The private sector is creating jobs at a faster rate than before the recession with big companies such as Deutsche Bank, Jaguar Land Rover & Unilever all moving large parts of their operation into the area

Do you feel that there are enough new jobs being created in the city?In the five years to 2015, Liverpool reported the largest job growth in the UK, at 55% (alongside Manchester). Meanwhile, job vacancies in the city surged by 34.8% in Q1 2016, which meant that Liverpool had the strongest year-on-year job growth in the country. With schemes like the Ten Street regeneration and the SuperPort Action Plan adding thousands more jobs, there are plenty of new jobs being created here!

There has been much talk of late of people, especially young professionals, moving out from London to other parts of the UK. Why do you feel Liverpool is an attractive destination for migrants from London?Liverpool offers a vast array of cultural attractions and leisure pursuits, as well as business opportunities. It does all this at a fraction of the cost of living in London, which is why so many people are trading life in the capital for a future in Liverpool. Liverpool’s fabulous night life and outstanding restaurant scene add to its superb arts scene and thriving property market. The affordability of property here – certainly when compared with London property prices and rents – is a huge draw.

What is your outlook on the Liverpool property market in 2018?I’m excited about the future of the Liverpool property market, particularly as we move into 2018. JLL has projected house price rises of 2.5% per annum across the UK for the next five years and Liverpool tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to increases in value, so the city’s housing market looks to have a very promising ahead!

It’s a dream for many of us: moving out to the country and enjoying a more wholesome lifestyle outside of our careers.

We want to go for country walks, have cosy pub lunches with good friends, surrounded by happy, rosy-cheeked children, bouncy gun dogs and muddy wellies.

At the same time however, we’d like to be able to easily reach the capital, have access to quality education for our kids and not feel as though we are ‘out in the sticks’. In other words, we want the best from a life in picture-postcard rural England without sacrificing our cultural and social needs.

One such rare place and an absolute jewel of the countryside is the village of Much Hadham in Hertfordshire.

This ancient and quaint village is situated between Ware and the market town of Bishop’s Stortford and is surrounded by glorious rural views. A truly quintessentially British village, it has artisan shops, gastro pubs and several excellent schools nearby.

A few miles down the road is Perry Green where internationally distinguished sculptor Henry Moore lived and worked.

Today its home to the Henry Moore Foundation, a registered charity, which was established for education and promotion of the fine arts. Its Institute in Leeds specialises in the study of sculpture while the Foundation supports a range of different artistic movement’s as well as preserving the Moore legacy. There is an art gallery and gardens, a shop, library and café.

Much Hadham is well connected. London’s Liverpool Street station can be reached directly by train in just over an hour from Bishops Stortford station. Both the M11 and M25 are under 30 mins drive away.

It is easy to see the charm of this area, but here’s the catch:

Just as it is not possible to make old friends, the trouble with entering a heritage area is the lack of new property. Anyone who has ever attempted to make the dream a reality will know, that should they even be lucky enough to find a suitable area, there may not be suitable homes available to buy.

It is therefore nothing short of a miracle that there are not one, but two brand new family homes on the market in Much Hadham from local family-run housebuilder Bellis Homes – a rare opportunity to acquire the dream lifestyle.

This detached six-bedroom house has contemporary and modern touches throughout, but its external design remains in keeping with the historic nature of the area. It has a pitched roof, dormer windows, bay windows and traditional timber and brick elements.

There is excellent living and entertaining space including a large basement featuring a leisure area with a gym, wine store and cinema room. The ground floor of Magna House boasts a large living room featuring a contemporary fireplace and open plan kitchen area, with comfortable family living space with bi-fold doors opening out to the garden.

The property’s generous accommodation includes three large reception rooms situated off the impressive entrance hall including a formal dining space. The six bedrooms are set over two floors, four have their own en-suites whilst the second-floor rooms utilise one expansive shared bathroom.

An exceptionally well designed six bedroom detached family home positioned perfectly within this exclusive development in the award-winning village of Much Hadham. The spacious and contemporary rooms are well proportioned, providing excellent living and entertaining space.

This beautifully built home excels the modern day new build with innovative design and high specification, whilst blending into the surroundings with its traditional presence. The ground floor boasts a large living room featuring a contemporary fireplace and open plan kitchen area, with comfortable family living space with bi-fold doors opening out to the garden.

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Bellis Homes have been building houses and welcoming families into new areas for over 20 years and are aware that sometimes a small additional gesture can really make a big difference to peoples’ lives and how they settle in. Therefore, they have decided to give buyers of Magna House and Millers View free membership to one of the cultural hubs of Much Hadham and Perry Green – the Henry Moore Foundation.

“Much Hadham may be a small village in Hertfordshire, but it holds a rich history appearing as far back as the Doomsday Book. It has been home to many notable residents, not least sculptor Henry Moore. As we introduce these two beautiful new homes to the village, we want to embrace and support the past as well as enable new residents to become part of the local community. As a moving-in gift we will be presenting them with a lifetime family membership to the Henry Moore Foundation at Perry Green.”

Quarter of the student population from outside the UK (Cushman & Wakefield)

Majority of Collegiate residents opting for solo students are Chinese nationals

With a total investment spend forecast to reach £5.3 billion in 2017, the purpose-built student accommodation sector (PBSA) represents strong opportunity for both investors but also to tackle the chronic undersupply of student housing in the UK.

To answer the ever-growing demand, a record 30,000 new student bed spaces were delivered in 2017 according to Cushman & Wakefield in their Student Accommodation Report 2017 with supply dominated by the private sector.

Luxury student accommodation provider Collegiate is one of the leading private contributors to the development of the sector. In recent years, it has delivered 20,000 beds across UK 30 cities and with a further 6,100 PBSA beds in the pipeline.

In recent years, the range of PBSA offerings has grown sensationally but Collegiate has noted that studio flats in particular have soared in popularity – a trend also observed by Cushman & Wakefield who recorded a 106% increase in studio bed spaces since 2014.

2018 is again likely to see an explosion in the provision of this type of accommodation as 43% of all new PBSA beds are studios, mostly delivered by the private sector.

For its brand-new development Crown House which opened September 2017 in Sheffield, Collegiate saw demand for its presidential solo studios markedly higher than standard rooms with all solo studios already sold out for the 2018/19 academic year.

“With comfort, cleanliness, privacy and security, our studio bed spaces offer value and style of living students have been used to before they leave home. Living in a studio allows them to focus on their studies and that’s the priority for their parents, the majority of which pay students’ rent. Thus, without a doubt, I believe that this trend of solo living will continue in 2018.”

The trend of studio living is most likely driven by students coming from outside the UK who want to make the most of their student experience abroad. The Cushman & Wakefield report shows clear evidence of the importance of foreign students reminding that nearly one quarter (23%) of the student population are from outside the UK.

This growing interest for PBSA units from foreign students is also witnessed by Collegiate which reports that 26% of its residents are from China with demand for studio schemes driven by the outstanding service it offers to international students.

The benefits of living in studio accommodation provided by Collegiate are significant as it is designed to maximise space and light, providing ample room to study and rest with privacy.

Take Collegiate Edge Apartments in Birmingham for instance. Its high-spec studio apartments, priced from £205.00 per week, come with state-of-the-art kitchens that add flavour to every meal and contemporary study stations to help residents focus.

Professional interior designers are also employed to deliver a stylish and modern look and feel to both the accommodation itself and the communal areas. The amenity spaces from the study rooms through to the in-house cinema and outdoor terraces are also carefully crafted to create the ideal community environment.

The on-site concierge teams are also present to reassure residents, answer queries and deal with any maintenance issues in a timely fashion.

For more information and to book accommodation in university towns and cities across the UK and Europe, contact Collegiate on +44 1235 250 140 or visit www.collegiate-ac.com.

The £33million transformation of a five-star hotel complex, where facilities include an award-wining spa and wellness centre, combined with one of the largest ski areas in Switzerland have transformed Flims into the rising star of Swiss ski resorts and should put it firmly on the radar of international property-buyers in 2018, said Skiingproperty.com in January.

The Waldhaus Flims Alpine Grand Hotel and Spa continues to generate international interest in Flims a year after its hotly anticipated reopening in February 2017. This luxury residential tourist facility, originally opened 140 years ago as an upmarket summer spa resort, has recently been included in The Leading Hotels in the World, a prestigious organisation for the world’s finest hotels, having been crowned Best Spa in Switzerland at the European Health and Spa Awards in 2017.

“The immediate area around the relaunched Waldaus Flims hotel, which sits within a picturesque wooded campus on the edge of the original village of Flims, is becoming a real property hot spot,” said Julian Walker, director at SkiingProperty.com. “Small blocks of luxury apartments are being carefully developed and one of the immediate draws of owning there is having the world-class hotel facilities on your doorstep. Previously overlooked by high-end international buyers, who would focus on the likes of Verbier, St Moritz, Davos or Villars, we tip Flims as the resort to watch, helped by the world-class skiing it offers.”

Flims is part of the Flims-Laax-Falera ski area, which won three awards at the latest World Ski Awards in Kitzbühel in November 2017, namely World’s Best Freestyle Resort, Switzerland’s Best Ski Resort and World’s Best Green Ski Hotel. The ski area is frequently tipped as one of the best destinations in Europe for freestyle snowboarders, thanks to its four terrain parks, one being home to the world’s largest halfpipe. It also includes the Vorab Glacier, which allows for an extended ski season.

“Access is another plus point of Flims,” continued Mr Walker at SkiingProperty.com. “The resort is in the canton of Graubünden, just 90 minutes’ drive from Zürich Airport, which is an international hub, or you can enjoy a scenic two-hour train journey, with one change at the medieval town of Chur.”

Flims, overlooked by the southern face of Fil de Cassons called Flimserstein, first became a summer tourist destination in the late 19th Century, when the original Hotel Waldhaus was built and guests came to enjoy the spa complex and bathe in the curative waters of the local Lake Caumasee. Still part of its appeal today, thanks to the new Spa complex, other attractions include the nearby Buna Vista golf course at Sagogn, the numerous hiking and mountain-biking trails, the Rhine Gorge, popularly known as the Swiss Grand Canyon, and the Tectonic Arena Sardona, a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Soho’s Wardour Street was once the cornerstone of the capital’s film industry

Stunning Pathé building has been dressed to impress by Alexander James Interior Design

‘Film Row’ now offering one of most sought-after London residential locations

Just over a century ago, Pathé Films set up shop in Soho. While the film industry has long since abandoned London’s West End, its legacy lives on, with one company – Alexander James Interior Design – breathing new life into the ghost of cinema past.

Almost a year ago, the company made headlines with its stunning dressing of one of the luxury apartments in the former Pathé building. Now, in honour of the Oscars fast approaching once again, the Alexander James team has been invited to dress a further historic London apartment.

“The Pathé building has such a rich history that it’s a privilege to be asked to dress another apartment there. The homes have such an incredible atmosphere and being able to honour the building’s heritage through contemporary interiors is a truly unique experience.”

Wardour Street, where Pathé is based and which was once famed as London’s ‘Film Row’ due to the plethora of film companies in residence, has become one of the capital’s hippest addresses.

Soho is famed for its quirky bars, outstanding restaurants and independent shops, as well as its media and cinematic heritage. A thriving creative hub, the area has drawn in trendy young things from across the UK and beyond. Having emerged from a rather seedy and run-down past reputation, modern day Soho is one of the most sought-after places to live, work and enjoy leisure time in London.

One of the challenges for the Alexander James Interior Design team was to blend the area’s more industrial, gritty past with its unique modern feel when dressing the Pathé building. Of course, it was also important to reflect the role that cinema has played in the building’s fascinating history.

“Our vision was to create a scheme that reflects the buzzing, creative hub that is modern-day Soho, while also creating an aspirational space packed with eye-catching features worthy of the famous Wardour Street. An industrial finish with refined, luxurious pieces captured this perfectly.”

To dress the apartment to perfection, the Alexander James team sourced a range of unique pieces. They also specified bespoke complementary items. To honour the building’s film heritage, the company’s in-house art consultant worked with the designers to create a private gallery by the stairwell, with hand-picked eclectic prints in bespoke frames delivering the intended style beautifully.

Throughout the apartment, colours are vibrant and textures are used creatively to provide personality and character. For the home’s outdoor terrace, plants and bespoke furniture were used to generate a casual, botanical feel for the ultimate sense of relaxation.

While the film companies may have set sail for pastures new, Wardour Street remains a key part of London’s cinematic heritage. Now, those looking to live on Film Row can honour the area’s past at the same time as being part of its future.

Apartment 1 is on the market with CBRE for £1.5m and covers 1,074 sq ft with one bedroom and two bathrooms.

For more information, visit Alexander James Interior Design at www.aji.co.uk or call 020 7887 7604.